Dream Life Vol 3 Chapter 35.1: “Behind the scenes: Second Part”

~Barbara’s Perspective~

　I, Barbara Harding, have worked as a maid here at Welburn Castle for over twenty years. Originally, like all the other maids, I was here to apprentice my skills and find a marriage partner, but I never found one…

　It is not that I disliked any of the gentlemen, or that I had high hopes for them. …Well, I didn’t. It was just that the gentlemen of my generation were very young.

　I was not averse to the idea of marrying a man of my own age, but it is because he seemed too young for me.

　After I turned 20, the number of offers to go out with me suddenly decreased. I felt a little impatient, but by then I was finding the work of a maid very rewarding, so I didn’t mind so much.

　Ten years ago, the lord’s eldest son, Master Patrick, got married, and I became his wife, Lady Cordelia’s maid. After that, her previous head maid was retired, and the oldest person at the time-oh, what a terrible word! –I was appointed as the head maid.

　Once I became the head maid, I was no longer treated as a woman, let alone asked for a marriage proposal. Bing head maid is a very important position here at Welburn Castle.

　I have to manage the private affairs of the Roswell family under the supervision of Baron Oldham, the head of the ministers. Especially since the Lady of the House passed away three years ago, I have more matters at my disposal. For this reason, the nobles in the north have come to treat me with respect. However, that is only because I am treated as an important vassal of the Frontier Count Roswell’s family.

　It is not that I was dissatisfied with that.

　But being treated for the first time in a long time as a woman, and a lady at that, reminded me that I was still a woman.

　It was surprising that it was a boy twenty years younger than me.

　Sir Zacharias Lockhart was fifteen years old. But looking at him, I felt that he was older than me, yes, a man as mature as the count. Of course, I do not mean that he looks older than he is. I guess I felt that way because the way he talked with His Excellency and Baron Oldham was like an old politician and like a first-class knight.

　I thought it was strange, but I couldn’t help but think of him as older than me.

　I was internally dissatisfied when the master ordered me to learn about serving from Lord Zacharias. I have also been working as a maid for more than 20 years, since before Lord Zacharias was born. I was also confident that the owner was satisfied with my work.

　However, I have changed my mind after hearing what the lady said.

　It would be impossible even for His Majesty the Emperor to make the dwarven blacksmiths change the way they serve alcohol. No matter how powerful he is, he cannot make the dwarven blacksmiths change their mind about alcohol. The count seemed to think the same thing and laughed, saying that he was very surprised.

　Furthermore, when he talked about the glass that Sir Zacharias had prepared for him, my knees began to shake. I am embarrassed to say that the value of the tableware in my parents’ house is probably less than the value of one of those glasses.

　Of course, even if it were the residence of a high-ranking aristocrat, there would be no home that had tableware or jewelry that was worth the same value as the glass, and which had value purely as tableware. Even His Majesty the Emperor would not have a piece like this.

　I honestly told the count that it was too much for me.

　His Excellency’s gentle smile changed to a serious expression.

“Well, I don’t know what Barbara is talking about. I don’t doubt Barbara’s point, but it is a courtesy from Master Zacharias. The glasses will be ours as a gift, and of course there will be times when we use them here. Might as well get used to them as fast as you can.” (Hubert)

　I was still unsure. If by any chance the young maids and waiters damaged it, there would be no way to get it back. I was at a loss for a response,

“If you are afraid of breaking it, don’t worry. Sir Zacharias has shown us how to put he back together beautifully from the shards…” (Hubert)

　He told me that he performed a restoration magic at a banquet with dwarven blacksmiths.

　I was speechless at such an insane… No, astonishing story.

“Above all, I must also take Master Zacharias’ wishes into consideration. He spent more than half a year making the glass for my daughter Rosalie and his brother Roderick. If we don’t use a product that is filled with so much thought and care… you must try your best somehow.” (Hubert)

　Hearing the words of His Excellency, I was ashamed of my own inadequacy and narrow-mindedness.

　I had been thinking only of myself, only of us.

　Sir Zacharias had created a masterpiece for his brother that not even the emperor, himself, would own. No matter how much of a genius he was, it must have been an extraordinary effort. In contrast, I realized how pathetic I had been thinking.

　I am in charge of serving guests. I realized that if Sir Zacharias’ way of serving is so wonderful, we should not hesitate to ask him to teach us, and that is the way to convey our thoughts to the Count.

I told His Excellency that I would ask Sir Zacharias to teach me.

　Still, after I left the Count’s office, I was worried.

　It’s about Sir Zacharias.

　As I saw from the way he talks with His Excellency, he is a very calm and intelligent man. I don’t want to put it in a bad way, but he exudes a certain coldness and cool headedness.

　I wonder if our young maids would be able to ask such a person to teach them without shrinking. To tell the truth, if I were to be stared at from the front with those cold, sapphire blue eyes, I might be at a loss for words.

　Such thoughts must have appeared on my face.

　When I told this story to the person in charge of the banquet, he seemed to have a rather hard look on his face.

　I did not express my real concern, but only explained to them that Sir Zacharias had a deep knowledge of alcoholic beverages and that the glasses used were of great value.

　That alone changed the complexion of everyone. Everyone was so nervous that they felt that if any more pressure was applied, the banquet might even fail.

　However, those fears were unfounded.

　No, the glass had been broken by young Aina, and she had made a mistake, but the fear about Sir Zacharias was completely unfounded.

　He was truly a kind man. He was never overbearing, even to servants like us, and especially not to us maids.

　And he was truly a gentleman. He treated not only me but even Aina, the youngest, as a lady.

　As maids, we are sometimes touched by “handsy” guests, especially by drunken ones. Most of the time it is just a drunken mishap, but it is not unheard of for them to ask for a night visit. However, even when he touched our arms or backs during instruction, he always asked for permission and would not touch us unless we gave consent.

　That is not all. He was truly concerned about Aina, who had broken an expensive glass.

　If this had been in the imperial capital, Aina might have received a flogging. No, in the worst case, she could even be sold to a slaver in exchange for the glass.

　And yet, that person did not care about the glass, which was filled with his own feelings, but was concerned about whether Aina herself would be injured.

　Everyone, including myself, watched in amazement.

　He must have thought that he was responsible for Aina’s tears. She was gently cradled and healed with a healing spell. He also smiled kindly at Aina, who was still crying, while he fixed the glass. As he did so, he gently stroked Aina’s head, and I was unexpectedly thinking, “Me too.” …No, nothing like that, but I was just a little, just a little envious.

　Something very surprising happened.

　When Sir Zacharias talked about drinking, he seemed “cute” like a “child”.

　People may wonder what I am talking about. It may sound like a normal thing for me, a thirty-five-year-old woman, to think of the fifteen-year-old beautiful boy, Sir Zacharias, as “cute” like a “child”.

　However, what I felt was a little different.

　What I have always felt from Sir Zacharias is that he is an “adult man.” However, the expression on his face when he talked about alcohol was really child-like… to give an example, it was like when His Excellency Baron Manfred Brailsford, the First Knight Commander, talked about famous horses. It is. His Excellency, who usually performs military duties with a stern expression on his face, loses his composure when talking about his military activities. I thought that the expression on Sir Zacharias’ face when he talked about alcohol was very similar to his expression.

　When I heard that Sir Zacharias was attacked by the traitor Harrison Gunnel, I was so shocked that I thought my heart would stop and I almost fell to my knees. However, I was immediately relieved to hear that his injuries were minor and that he had already been treated.

However, just to be sure, I went to visit him and saw an unbelievable sight.